Saturday, September 14, 2019

Food prioritizes vegetables and fish, but excludes important groups for a nutritious menu

The pegan diet has become one of the most searched subjects on Google in the United States since February 2018, when the term was used for the first time by Mark Hyman, author of the book Food: What the Heck should I eat.

The proposal is to mix two apparently opposite foods: veganism, which excludes everything of animal origin from routine; with the Paleolithic diet, which values what cavemen ate thousands of years ago (usually lots of red meat and freshly harvested fruits). As a result, a menu consisting of 75% vegetables and fruits, against 25% protein.

The equation, at first, seems satisfactory to the nutritional eyes. "The population in general tends to consume much less vegetables and fruits than recommended by the WHO (World Health Organization), 400 grams per day". One more for the list of plant-based diets (diets that prioritize what comes from the earth without necessarily excluding the protein of animal origin) and a certain point for the increase in the consumption of fibers.

Moreover, and despite the preference of our ancestors for red meat with high fat content, the pegan diet tends to go in the opposite direction. Mark, in his book, advises the choice of fish and seafood. "The reduction in red meat intake is associated with lower risk of cardiovascular events and better lipid profile (cholesterol)," says Clarissa.

So, goodbye fatty foods? Not necessarily. The rich in unsaturated, considered good for the heart, are released (gives you avocado and olive oil!).

The restrictions

Like any diet that promises to lose a few pounds, pegan has its prohibitions. And not all of them please the experts. Eliminating grains and gluten from meals can even prevent inflammation of the digestive system and be a good option for those who are celiac, but can also have other consequences. "Some grains, besides proteins of very good vegetable origin, are important for the functioning of the intestine and help in the absorption of iron".

Only some dairy products are allowed. Kefir, ghee butter and those derived from animals fed with grass (like goats, for example), are released. "But without any concrete scientific proof that they are better," says the endocrinologist.

The way out, then, is to use the pegan diet for specific purposes. "Once it restricts, it will promote weight loss. So, maybe it works as a temporary diet. But I don't think it's legal as a life strategy, even more so because the studies about it still don't exist", says nutritionist Aline Petrilli.

Sunday, September 8, 2019

The Dubrow diet is one of the 10 most searched diets on the internet in recent times. It was created by reality stars Heather Dubrow and her husband, Botched Plastic Surgeon Terry Dubrow, after failing with "yo-yo" diets.

This new healthy program is about eating at intervals to lose weight, according to a US News article.

In addition, weight loss has these benefits: it cares for the skin, increases body energy, stabilizes blood sugar levels, decreases inflammation of the body and provides anti-aging properties.

According to the portal, to get the results the diet promises, users should consult directly with the book "The Dubrow Diet, how to eat at intervals to lose weight and feel without age".

In the first stay, the program is about intermittent fasting divided into the phases "Ready for the red carpet" "Summer is approaching", and "Tractive look while you live as a human being" "Tractive look while you live as a human being".

The first phase lasts from two to five days with 16 hours of fasting and eight hours of feeding.

In the second, it is presented as the speed at which users could reach their goal: slow speed 12 hours of food and 12 hours of fasting, average: 14 hours of fasting and 10 hours of feeding, and 16 hours of fasting and eight hours of feeding.

The third phase is the established long-term meal times, for example 12 hours of fasting and 12 hours of feeding five days a week and 16 hours of feeding with eight hours of fasting on the other two days.

Although there is no research on the functioning of the diet, some elements may be promising for weight loss, such as the intake of small amounts of food and at the same time of calories, high intensity training and the possibility for users to adapt to feeding times.

We leave you with a list of some of the foods that predominate in the recommendations of the couple Dubrow:

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Mediterranean food is one of the best food models in the world. It also includes delicious preparations that are easy to make at home. Do you want to learn how to make dishes from the Mediterranean diet to support your weight loss diet?

This diet is based on including foods of all kinds, excluding those with a high fat content. Therefore, its adoption helps reduce blood cholesterol, which allows us to prevent cardiovascular disease.

The main benefit of this diet is the excellent contribution of healthy fats from olive oil and other foods rich in fatty acids such as Omega 3 and 6. In addition, it also ensures the contribution of other essential nutrients. Find out more.

What are the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet?

The Mediterranean diet is a dietary model with dietary patterns from Mediterranean countries such as Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Greece and Malta. It is enriched with the main food groups that must be present for your diet to be varied, balanced and healthy.

The aim of any diet is to adequately dose the nutrients; in the case of the Mediterranean, no one can beat it. In addition, the food pyramid was created in order to order all its products in order to understand how to take them. This is what it tells us:

Olive oil is fundamental in Mediterranean gastronomy.

It uses seasonal food, not frozen food.

The hydrates are supplied by means of cereals such as rice, pasta and bread, a fundamental product.

Five pieces of fruit and vegetables a day are essential. Fresh fruit as a dessert we can not forget.

Four eggs on average a week are a vital nutrient supply for our health, as well as blue and white fish and white meat.

Avoid excess animal fats, red meat, sweets.

Natural mineral water is necessary to live. Two liters of water per day is the average per person. This amount varies depending on age, weight and other parameters.

Avoid additives such as salt or sugar.

Complement your diet with exercise every day.

Does Mediterranean Diet help you lose weight?

Unlike other eating habits, the Mediterranean diet is the kind of food we need to live well. It is not aggressive, it has no nutritional deficiencies. You will not lose weight quickly, but if you maintain the right amounts of food and do sport daily, not only will you lose weight but you will also benefit your heart.

This diet does not consist of losing 5 kilos in 3 days, as happens with the pineapple or artichoke diet, but what we want is to maintain our body mass index at the recommended average, and enjoy delicious and varied meals. It is something that requires an education, which our body will appreciate.

Mediterranean Diet dishes that help you lose weight

Here are 5 typical dishes of Mediterranean cuisine that thanks to their ingredients could help you lose weight. They are simple to prepare, as well as nutritious. Encourage yourself to prepare them not only to lose weight but also to get out of the routine and improve your health.

1. Bonito marinated in curry

To escape the monotony of our diet, it is interesting to bet on new or uncommon flavors in the Mediterranean diet. Bonito marinated with curry spices and seasoned with sesame or other seeds can be a dish that is out of the ordinary and conserves the lightness we are looking for.

2. Seafood brochettes

The Mediterranean diet proposes a series of protein-based dinners (without vegetables or other carbohydrate foods) to lose weight during the first weeks of the diet. A skewer of fish and seafood, seasoned with spices, lemon or garlic and parsley can be a good option to escape boredom.

3. Chicken stuffed with asparagus, spinach and beaten cheese

Chicken stuffed with vegetables and beaten cheese is a healthy and delicious way to escape the typical grilled steak. To cook it, all you have to do is grill the chicken and roll it over the vegetables and cheese. Five minutes in the oven and you will have a tasty and healthy meal.

4. Salmon en papillote (in paper)

Salmon is usually one of the most recurrent foods in any diet. It has multiple benefits, is very rich in fatty acids and its taste is exquisite. A delicious and light meal, but with all the benefits, en papillote salmon, served on a base of zucchini, green asparagus and leeks and a touch of white wine.

5. Bruschetta

Typical Italian dish consisting of toasted bread with olive oil, accompanied by various ingredients such as tomato, basil, garlic, eggplant, artichokes and cheese. It is often served as an appetizer.

6. Fresh Green Bean Salad

Another of the problems we usually encounter in a weight loss diet is the lack of ideas for cooking vegetables in a tasty way. This salad is ideal for taking to work or eating out. Natural tuna, turkey breast and cooked egg whites will provide the protein we need.

Saturday, January 12, 2019

The traditional Greek diet, formed by history and climatic conditions, meets the main criteria of an optimal diet: it has properties that promote health and is compatible with a sustainable environment.

In simple terms, the traditional Greek regime is based on:

High consumption of olive oil, which in Greece, more than in any other country, is extra virgin;

High consumption of unrefined vegetables, legumes, fruits and cereals;

Preference for fish over meat;

Emphasis on feta cheese and yogurt, instead of other dairy products;

Moderate consumption of wine, especially during meals.

Prototype of the traditional Mediterranean diet

The properties that promote the health of this diet have been documented among many populations, and at different times in history. In the late 1960s, the original work of Ansell Keys (a renowned scientist who studied the impact of diet on health) on the Greek population gave weight to the idea that the traditional Greek diet represents a distinguished prototype of the traditional Mediterranean diet.

The traditional Greek diet has been found to increase longevity and protect against serious diseases, such as coronary heart disease and many types of cancer.

Recent studies have also recognized the Greek diet for its health-promoting attributes. In addition, scientists have shown that there are two factors that play an important role in a healthy diet:

Combination of dietary intakes

High quality food components.

High quality

Greece can rightly be proud of the high quality and supreme taste of many of its food products, including olive oil, dairy products, vegetables and fruits. But they are not only the products that form the most important components of this famous diet. Many traditional Greek recipes and sweets have an impressive array of beneficial properties. The unexpected nutritional properties of many Greek dishes are just now recognized.

Sunday, September 30, 2018

The egg is a particularly attractive food to delve into. It is full of nutrients and yet has been demonized for decades because of its high cholesterol and fat content and its unfavorable results in relation to cardiovascular disease in various studies. Although in recent years the stringent restrictions of yesteryear (which were almost banned) have been relaxed to some extent, there is much confusion about the appropriateness of their consumption.

The egg is a cheap food, easy to obtain, which provides a large quantity and variety of proteins and fats (saturated, monounsaturated and poinnsaturated), cholesterol and many vitamins. With regard to cardiovascular risk, many analyses have been carried out depending on how it affects cholesterol levels, but this type of assessment is not very useful. Firstly, because it has been repeatedly demonstrated that the intake of eggs does not usually affect colestrol in blood in most people (not to mention the discrepancies that there are in some circles regarding the levels of cholesterol most recommended by studies such as this). Secondly, because it is more practical to skip the intermediate step of cholesterol and analyze directly what the studies say about its relationship with cardiovascular disease.

It is relatively simple to analyze the short-term effect of eating eggs frequently. Intervention studies show that they are mostly positive. If we refer to the long term, decades ago several researches were carried out that related their intake with an increase in cardiovascular risk. An article like this has even been published recently: Dietary cholesterol and egg yolks: Not for patients at risk of vascular disease in 2010 (it is an opinion-review, not epidemiological) alerting of the risks of eating eggs, with the consequent subsequent discrepant responses (so that they later say that there is scientific consensus).

The problem with old epidemiological studies is that they did not isolate the effect and possible influence of other foods. That is, the increased risk could be caused by the egg, bacon, coffee or butter toast that usually accompanies eggs. Or by any other factor. This is highlighted by the probably best reviews that have been made on the subject and which I strongly recommend reading: A Review of Scientific Research and Recommendations Regarding Eggs (2004) and Egg Consumption and Coronary Heart Disease: An Epidemiologic Overview (2000).

As the methodology of the studies was refined, especially by separating in more detail the influence of different foods, the risk disappeared. It occurred most dramatically in the famous massive 1999 study "A Prospective Study of Egg Consumption and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Men and Women," which followed nearly 120,000 people for 14 years. No increased cardiovascular risk was found among people who ate more than one egg a day (although it was found among people with diabetes).

Since then and over the last ten years most studies have reached similar conclusions.

Even in some, such as Egg consumption and CHD and stroke mortality: a prospective study of US adults (2010), analysing some 30,000 people over 6 years, the inverse relationship was found: Eating more eggs reduced the risk.Admittedly, there have also been some who have found some relationship lately. But although they have obtained statistically significant results, these have been small, which reduces their relevance and does not rule out the influence of other variables.

A number of positive results that have been obtained among people with diabetes remain to be clarified. Let us hope that future research will shed light on this.

In conclusion, my view is that there is no compelling evidence that eating eggs is a health risk, and they are an exceptional and affordable nutritional option. As I have said on other occasions, I think it is much more important to eliminate factors with a demonstrated increased risk: stress, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, obesity, refined carbohydrates, alcohol and so on. If you are very prudent, you can limit yourself to one egg a day, as all the most recent and rigorous studies do not find any risk up to this amount. It will be enough for you to watch your usual blood indicators and results to monitor how your body responds and if, as expected, you do not see anything out of the ordinary, you will even be able to increase this amount considerably without any problems.

Sunday, July 8, 2018

Although it seems that a hot chicken soup helps during a flu, there are foods that contain essential nutrients for our defenses. Ingesting them in correct amounts can save us from more than one aversion.

It is well known that what we eat has important and profound effects on our health, from the density of our bones to the performance of our brain. One of the fundamental principles is to provide our immune system with the ability to defend itself against bacterial, fungal and viral attacks. You can follow a "healthy" diet, have a good figure, strong teeth and, at the same time, defenses that defend nothing. Indian physician and researcher Ranjit Chandra of Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada, published a study describing the relationship between food and our defenses: "Nutrition is a fundamental factor in the immune response, and malnutrition is one of the most common causes of immunodeficiency in the world. "The three nutrients that play a major role in maintaining a good immune system are selenium, zinc and vitamin B6 (although they are not the only ones, for example iron is also involved, but to a lesser extent).

Selenium in nuts, mushrooms and cod

Why are Spanish farmers a bull? Higher genes? Maybe. Another option may refer to this habit of eating garlic as someone who eats pipes, raw and everything. This food is a good source of selenium, a chemical element of the nonmetals group. In a study published in "The Journal of Nutrition" by researcher John R. Arthur and his team, the Rowett Reseach Institute, explains that "selenium has great potential to influence our immune system. But in the scientific world, getting answers inevitably leads to new questions. John Arthur explains that "only when all the functions of selenoproteins are described will we be able to fully understand their role in maintaining optimal immune function. There are many foods (that we love) that are good sources of selenium. Here are some examples from data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA):

Garlic It contains 14.2 micrograms per 100 g. One third of the recommended daily amount.

Brazil nuts. These are selenium queens by far. 100 grams contain 1,917 micrograms (or almost the same, 2 milligrams), which is equivalent to 3,485.4% of the recommended daily amount.

All are important, but B6 is fundamental

All nuts are appreciated for their nutritional values, more now that fats have lost that reputation for "bad" they had. Pistachios are distinguished among all nuts, not only for their taste (and price), but also for their high vitamin B6 content. One of its functions is to play an important role in the creation of antibodies. For this reason, as explained in his book "Let's buy lies" José Manuel López Nicolás, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) believes that you can advertise a product containing at least 15% vitamin B6 per day. with slogans like "help your defenses" or "help the immune system". Peppers are one of the kings of this vitamin, specifically a characteristic of Mexico, Chile pasilla (named for its dry, raisin-like appearance), but it is not the only one. 100 grams of these foods will provide us with all the vitamin B6 we need:

Salvia This spice is rich in this nutrient, since it contains 2.69 mg.

Spearmint Typical of some gastronomies... and mojito. It contains 2.58 mg, more than enough for our daily lives.

A scarce and fundamental metal for us

Although with cheaper types starting to arrive from distant shores, oysters have traditionally been exclusive to the larger portfolios. Turns out their flavor and texture aren't the only thing special. It is one of the largest known food sources of zinc. Researcher Pamela J. Faker and her team at Michigan State University in the United States published a study in 2000 looking at the relationship between zinc deficiencies and immune system activity and how it affected the human body to restore normal levels of this micronutrient. "The results of more than three decades of work indicate that zinc deficiency causes a rapid decrease in the response of antibodies and immune system cells," says his research.

This makes it clear that a deficiency of this metal can cause us more than one headache. So much so that, in this study, the researcher says that "a lack of zinc in the diet can lead to an increase in the prevalence of opportunistic infections and mortality rates". To avoid these harmful consequences, we can resort to the following foods (per 100 g):

Raw oysters: contain 39.30 mg of zinc, almost 4 times more than the recommended daily amount.

Veal: it is very rich in this nutrient, containing the ribs, for example, 11.49 milligrams.

Pumpkin seeds. They contain 10.30 mg or, in other words, the total daily requirement.

Sesame flour. They cover our needs with 10.70 mg.

A balanced diet must include everything, not only the 'healthy' foods that cause visible effects in the mirror, but also those that really help us in times of need.